Truths and Consequences
by quasisardonic
Summary: formerly Party of Two  It was the hardest of choices: to be with the one you have always loved or the one whose love swept you off your feet. Slightly OOC. Multi-chapter fic set in the future with flashbacks, memories, and foreshadowing here and there.
1. Mixed Messages

Chapter One

_**Mixed Messages**_

He couldn't decide whether what was before him was ironic or paradoxical. The black/gold/red-motifed 4"x 6" invitation sent to his newly-renovated Brooklyn apartment-slash-bachelor-pad-slash-writer's-cocoon was a physical confluence of simplicity and sophistication—tasteful without being ostentatious, understated but expensive. As his eyes skimmed the contents of the scarlet paper he held in his hand, his head was undergoing its own ministrations. It told him to call and congratulate her, and try to be happy—happy for her, happy for him (though it would be a fucking pain in the ass to do so), happy about the idea that she considered him to be a considerable enough part of her life to even be invited (though there's a huge chance that it might have been Dorota who sent him an invite)-but the pit in his stomach engaged his thoughts in a battle it was sure to win: he cannot be happy for _them _because the invitation signified the conclusiveness of the end of everything between him and her. The thought of her never being in his life again has become too stark and too definite for him to register any other feeling than bitterness. The knots tightening in his heart mimicked the unmistakeable W and B intertwined and embossed in the invitation he held.

He was halfway through a bottle of Absolut and ripping the invitation to shreds when his phone rang. He considered picking it up but realized it might be _her _so he leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and waited for the beep and the succeeding voice to resonate in the room.

"Dan? Um, it's me. Serena. Look, I know you're there. I've left several dozens of messages to you which you freaking haven't answered. I need to talk to you. (pause) You have to talk to me, please. I know I hurt you and that you hate me and want nothing to do with me but this is about her and-"

"I don't hate you. I just don't want to talk to you," he spoke tersely.

"Dan. Oh, thank God. I thought you were never gonna answer-"

"Thought about doing that. But then there's a huge chance that if I let this one pass, I would have to deal with several dozens more of your voicemails which would just hassle me as I would have to delete each and every single one of them. I thought that I was making myself clear when I said 'I'm done'".

"As I already said, this has nothing to do with me. (pause) I know she had the wedding invites sent out a few days ago and I'm quite certain that one of them was addressed to you. I just want to know how you're holding up, Dan."Her voice was soft, almost hushed, and slightly cracked. Her concern somehow hit a nerve. He laughed, the sound staggered and bitter when Serena heard them.

"How am I holding up? That's really rich, Serena, coming from you, considering that you haven't so much spoke to me in three years. It's kind of too late to start being my friend right now. But to answer your questions, how about you try recalling all the events leading to your Vegas shotgun wedding, extract the pain and bewilderment I felt when I found out _six months later_, and add to that the fact that for _this _wedding, I got invited and I'm in the middle of contemplating whether it was done out of courtesy or to rib me.

"Dan, please. Don't be like that-"

"Like, what? Honest? Frank? Blunt? You lost the right to tell me what to be like a long time ago, Serena. And besides, you've always wanted honesty from me, which, ironically, isn't one of your most prized qualities. But, look! I'm giving it. What the hell do you want from me?"

"You're rambling. You're drunk and you're angry. You're not making sense anymore—and you've every right to be."

Silence.

"Come to the wedding. She wants you to be there. It will mean the world to her."

Silence.

"Dan? Are you still there?"

"I'm here."

"Well, are you listening? She wants you to come."

"That's too bad then."

"What? Why?"

"I just decided to go to Frankfurt for the fair, which, coincidentally, occurs on the same day, so, _oops_, I can't go."

"Can you please stop making excuses and evading? She wants to see you."

"_Really? _Now that's even funnier as she knows where to find me and guess what? She never got around to express that desire to see me. And I'm not making excuses. I'm a publisher, Serena, and a damn good one, good enough to be sent to international events every now and then. I'm not some chump who waits around for a girl who can't decide whom she wants. That ship has sailed a long time ago."

"Fine. If you're gonna be like that, then I guess there's no use to get you to come. I don't know why I even bothered calling."

"My sentiments exactly. _Thank you for understanding._" He clicks the phone off as he grabbed a bottle of Bacardi and took a long swig and a groan.

...

Serena stared at the receiver for a moment before putting it down. She sighed. She didn't expect the cutting words she just heard from Dan. Sure, she expected that he won't be thrilled to hear from her but hoped that he will at least try to be kind to her as he had always been. It wasn't as if his bitterness was unwarranted—he did lose her to Ben when she eloped with the latter and flew to Las Vegas to get married in the Church of Elvis. The whole thing was funny, and legal, and _binding, _and Dan was inconsolable when he found out six months later. Her best friend had been the one who got him through the mess and picked up the pieces of his heart she left shattered. She witnessed, right before her eyes, her best friend and ex-boyfriend falling in love. It was a reality that deeply frightened her, enough to solicit help from her stepbrother who was already developing a scheme to tear apart the two. They succeeded in the destruction which resulted in being exiled from Dan's life. Her best friend, vindictive as she is, loved her enough to forgive her. She picked up her phone ans sent a message.

_B-_

_I tried to talk to him. He wouldn't budge. Says he's off to Frankfurt for a fair or something on the same day but it could just be him avoiding you. You should talk to him. He's gonna listen to you. I'm terribly sorry._

_-S_

_..._

She was traversing the familiar flight of stairs when she received Serena's text. She know he wouldn't take things lightly. Weddings are, apparently, a Humphrey weakness. Aggravating matters would be the essential fact that he left him for her fiancee on a really bad note. But all things considered, she thought it would be a disservice to whatever they had if she did not take a chance at attaining closure. He became, after all, her _other _best friend and she cherished that more than anything. She lifted her hand and knocked.

...

Dan woke up with a start to the sound of loud knocking at the other side of the door. He staggered to the sink and washed his bloodshot eyes before opening the door.

"Hey, Dan."


	2. Fallouts, Backlash

**A/N: Alright. I'm sorry for the wait but I made up for it for giving y'all this loooong chapter. For those who have been asking me if this is meant to be a Chair endgame story, the answer is no because I don't have an endgame in mind. So far I'm playing with untapped parts of themselves which is why the characters seem a little OOC. Thanks for the support and the reviews! Hope you enjoy this installment!**

Chapter Two

_**Fallouts, Backlash**_

_Dan woke up with a start to the sound of loud knocking at the other side of the door. He staggered to the sink and washed his bloodshot eyes before opening the door. _

"_Hey, Dan."_

He blinked, taking time to match the voice with the figure in front of him. _Man, that was some hardass Swedish booze_. "Nathaniel. What a surprise. What brings you here in this lovely borough of Brooklyn?" he flashed a crooked smile as he opened the door wider to invite his guest in."

Nate scoffed and pushed past his lanky best friend. He carefully scrutinized the latter and glanced at the four bottles of Absolut, all polished and clean. "A call from Serena." He paused as the brunette shook his head. "It's about 4 in the afternoon. You finished all these all by yourself?"

Dan rolled his eyes and slumped in the couch. "No. I had help from my neighbors. I apologize, I didn't catch their names."

"Ha-ha. Seriously, man. What happened to you?"

"What is with all this judgment, Nate? You can't just barge in and berate me for doing things you yourself love." Dan replied in exasperation. He picked up a stick of Marlboro Reds and a lighter, crossing one leg over the other as he lit up and puffed up a stream of smoke, eliciting more confusion in Nate's eyes.

"And you smoke now? Man, self-destruction does not suit you."

"Who's self-destructing? I'm good. This—_gesturing to his newfound habit—_is called writer's release. Of course, I don't expect you to be aware of that."

Nate stared at his friend but said nothing. He positioned himself to an unoccupied space in the couch, waiting for the fireworks to arrive. One minute, followed by another, coupled with several cigarettes from his plastered companion but still nothing. He looked around the room, a pile of black, gold, and red shreds of paper catching his eye. He sighed.

"If you're not bringing it up, then I will. How are you feeling?"

"Whoa. Are you my shrink now? I heard holding another profession is against Congress rules." Dan laughed at nothing in particular, continuing to release streams of smoke.

"Dan. Can't you actually take me seriously?" Dan raised his right brow but said nothing. "I saw the invitation—or what's left of it. Serena told me you decided to bail out and head to Frankfurt. I know for a fact that's lie because October isn't arriving in months."

"You actually know when the Fair is held? Cool. I told you, man. Knowledge is power." He stubbed his cigarette and rubbed his eye. "I'm not attending because I don't want to. The last thing I want to see is Blair walking down the aisle towards Chuck Bass with that arrogant smirk decorating his face and possibly imagining his bride in various pos-" Nate held up a hand, interrupting the other.

"Chuck? Blair's not marrying Chuck."

Dan's forehead furrowed in confusion. "What? Then who is she marrying?"

"Carter Baizen. Dude, seriously. You're one of the smartest people I know but I think it is standard operational procedure in jealous ex-boyfriend-dom to first read the contents of the invitation before ripping it to pieces."

"Carter. So she was telling the truth this whole time. He wasn't a cover-up for Bass."

It was Nate's turn to be flummoxed. "A cover-up? I don't understand."

Dan stood up, picked up two highball glasses and filled it up with some amber liquid. He gave one to Nate and sat back down again. He took one gulp, closed his eyes as if trying to remember something. "When she left for Pennsylvania, I had to gather every morsel of control I have in my body to not go after her. But some months after her absence, I couldn't take it anymore and I decided to see her. It took some coaxing but we did talk. I, I told her I came to fight for her."

"_Waldorf."_

_She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around. "Humphrey. What brings you here?"_

"_Oh you know. A simple goal of coming after you to tell you 'I'm not letting you go', 'I'm fighting for us', 'I love you'. Nothing much." He shrugged for effect._

"_Are you testing that line for your new novel?" She raised her eyebrow._

"_No. I don't produce cheesy material."_

_She smirked and shook her head. "You shouldn't have come here. I told you that you're better off without me."_

"_But I'm not! Would I come here if I was jumping off the walls out of happiness? I can't not have you in my life."_

"_You should save those lines for a more private setting, my dear. You are making a fool out of yourself."_

"_I don't care."_

"_I do."_

"_Talk to me."_

"_Fine. But not here." She looked around, spotting a lonesome bench in a nearby park. "Come on, let's go to the park and we'll have our talk". She grabbed his hand as they walked in silence. Dan languished in her soft grasp, wishing to high heavens that she does not let go anytime soon. But no one up there seemed to listen to him for she dropped his hand as she sat on the bench. Neither of them spoke for awhile. Dan stared into space, gazing into the red maple leaves gently falling towards the ground and then cleared his throat._

"_To continue my tirade of 'cheese and whine', I'm asking you to come with me back to New York. You and I both know that is your city. You belong there, not here."_

_Blair smiled sadly. "I used to think that. But I left for a reason. I don't want to go back yet. I'm starting a life here."_

"_Wharton was that amazing?"_

"_Yes. But it wasn't just Wharton."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Dan. I don't know how to say this but I can't go back to New York with you because... because of... because of Carter."_

"_Carter? Wait. What? How did that happen?"_

"_It was some months ago. I was on my way to a grocery—can you believe that?-and I guess he actually saw me because he called my attention. He looked different, spoke differently. He told me he's living here in Philly for his treatment. He was apparently diagnosed with a brain tumor and currently undergoing chemotherapy. I threw him a bad cancer joke which made him laugh and asked me out. I said yes. Dan, we've been dating for months. A few days ago, he told me he's falling in love with me."_

_Dan was staring at her, mouth slightly open, obviously bewildered. This cannot be happening. Carter fucking Baizen cannot just waltz into the lives of the women **he **loves and steal them away. He doesn't want to believe it._

"_I don't believe this."_

"_I can't leave him, Dan. He needs me. And I think I may start to love him, too."_

"_This is a joke. A very good one. This is really about, Chuck, right? It's not Carter. Chuck followed you here and got you to concoct this brain balderdash story involving that leech to keep me away. You really can't stop loving that asshole after everything."_

"_Chuck? No! He never came to see me here!"_

_But Dan was determined to believe that this girl he loves is lying to him to cover-up her apparent undying love for the Basshole. He felt like an idiot coming to Philadelphia to profess his love, only to be kicked to the curb by the worst lie he has ever heard in his life. His head was spinning. _

"_Stop. Lying. You've already proven yourself to be a really good one. You don't have to use another person to mask your choice. He will always be the one you'll choose. And I was stupid enough to believe that I can make you change your mind."_

_Blair didn't know what to say. She was telling the truth but she was aware that Dan never can get past the fact that she had loved Chuck with all her heart for the longest time. She also knew how stubborn he is when it comes to what he believes to be true. What puzzled her was this complete refusal to listen to her. He never jumped to conclusions without making sure he was making the right ones. "I'm not lying to you. And I don't know how I can get you to change your mind."_

"_Did you even love me?"_

"_I..."_

_But Dan cut her off. "Typical. Fine. I'm going to leave you with 'Carter'-pausing for an air quote—behind. Have a great life Blair. Say hi to Chuck for me." He quickly turned, not looking back as the wind jived in symphony with the tears flowing out of his eyes._

"_Dan!"_

_She stared after him, slumping down the bench. "I did love you. I still do," she whispered in the breeze._

"Wait. You took everything she told you about Carter as some scheme to hide her supposed relationship with Chuck?"

"She's Blair Waldorf. She's capable of doing anything and saying anything."

Nate smacked his friend's head. "Are you an idiot? Blair will never lie to you like that."

"I know that now. God, I was so stupid."

"What surprises me more is your reaction. I know you well enough that despite your judgmental swagger, you actually believe in people and you listen to them. What happened to you?"

"Chuck happened." He puffed into another cigarette.

"Chuck did not come after his to Philly. He didn't she was there. He lined up all his PI's to look for her in Europe, Asia, Australia but completely ignore the idea that she might actually just be in the same country. Of course, I didn't know where she was. She didn't really tell anyone. How did you even know she's there?"

"I was aware of her plan to take an MBA in Wharton. I just took a shot." He sighed. "When did you find out? When did they arrive?"

"Just a few days ago. Jenny received the invite via Fedex so I'm assuming they went back here just to get married. I'm seeing the groom at his bachelor's party later."

Dan looked at him in surprise. "The two of you are friends now?"

"No. But Blair is _my _friend. I want to support her. She used to be your friend to you know. And that invitation was sent to because she wants you there. You should really go. And if you don't want to see her walk down the aisle, then crash the reception. Knowing those two, there will be plenty of booze to kick the ass out of Octoberfest." He stood up and walked towards the door.

"I don't know."

"Just think about it."

Dan just stared at his departing blonde friend cum wingman.

"I will. Thank you, Nate."

Nate stopped by the door and turned. "Just promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"When you do decided to crash, make sure you're not so splashed yet. It's really rude to go to party drunk when there's lots of booze to go around."

"Get out of here."

Dan sighed. He needs to think. He needs a drink. He needs a puff or seventy-two. But most urgent is that he needs to call his couturier.

…

_She lifted her hand and knocked._

"Babe. You know it's unlucky for the groom to see her bride before the wedding." Carter greeted her with a dewy smile, obviously fresh out of the shower.

"That's just a pile of bull and crap. And besides, we aren't getting married today." She pecked him on his lips, lingering for just a moment to leave a mark. "I missed you."

"And I missed you too." He grabbed her at the waist and stared at her eyes. She flashed her a smile.

"Hey. Have I told you that I never really got to appreciate your Tribeca loft until now?"

"Why?"

"I've just been literally walking for hours to finish all the preparations. Plus, Serena's been calling me and leaving me messages about Dan. He got the invitation today and drunk himself to some unknown planet." She went to the bar and poured herself some Grey Goose. Carter followed after her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzled his nose in her hair. He smiled. She smelled like strawberries, roses, and vanilla—his favorite. "Can... we... not... talk... about... your... ex-lover?" He caressed the small of her back as he placed gentle butterfly kisses on her neck. She closes her eyes, tilting her head a bit to give him more room. They moved in slowly, as if following a silent rhythm. She turned around to face her fiance, slipping her hands behind his neck. He captured her lips with his, biting the lower lip gently and interlocked his tongue within hers. She not only smelled sweet, she tasted that way. Then he felt her crashing her lips harder, taking control and spinning his head in intense ecstasy. _Oh God, Oh God..._

"Mmm... I... can... do... this... forever..." he spoke quietly taking small pauses in between kisses.

"Just... a... few... days..." Their moment of bliss was cut short by a deafening _Beep!_

"Fuck. Rick's asking me head out to Bucket now." Carter glared at the message from his friend.

"Alright, fine. I also have to go, Mother wants to finalize the details of my dress. You would think that after all these years, my mother would feel high and mighty enough to not consult my sensibilities." She picked up her purse. "You boys don't do anything crazy now, hmmm?" She leaned in to kiss Carter who, this time, lingered long enough to make a mark.

"Of course. We're all grown-up, babe."

"Uh-huh."

Carter smiled at his fiancee's retreating back and the sound of Manolos clicking. He picked up his phone, scrolled down and pressed SEND.

"Mr. Baizen."

"Connelly. The papers I asked you to draw up, are they ready? Can you have them over here at home in ten minutes?"

"Of course, sir."

"Good." He clicked it off. His friends can wait.

…

Chuck has been waiting for that horribly familiar voice of an insect to fill up Bucket for an hour already. He still cannot understand how he skipped the part where he's supposed to asks his PI's to scour the ends and corner of America as well when he ordered them to look for the feisty brunette he sorely missed. And he cannot wrap his head around the painful detail that the insect is marrying _his _feisty brunette. If only he weren't so stupid, he would have been in his place. The facts hit his head like a sledgehammer as he downed yet another glass of scotch. _Where the fuck is that ne'er-do-well?_

…

Two hours and buckets of beer, gin, bourbon later, the darkened hall of Bucket was filled with drunken laughs, mostly from Carter's elitist but messy group of friends. He stood up and went to the bar for a Sex on the Beach and more alcohol for the table.

"Baizen." Carter stiffened and then relaxed. He'd recognize that annoying growl from anywhere.

"Bass. Enjoying yourself? Oh, wait, you're not invited."

"Like hell I'd want to be invited."

"What do you want?"

"Blair." Chuck almost screamed in his rasp.

Carter guffawed, loud enough to send the message that he found the other man's request not only untenable but ridiculous. "No. I won, you lose. I get to collect."

"What do you have on her?" Chuck was at the edge of his temper.

"Nothing."

"Liar. There is no such thing as _nothing _when it comes to you. I thought you're in love with Serena."

"I _was_. But she lures me too much into various types of trouble. And all things considered, I didn't enjoy being packed up to Dubai every time I come back here."

"So, what's Blair for you? Less-trouble girl? You're gonna hurt her. You don't deserve her."

"I sure as hell don't, Bass. But she chose me. And I have to get some facts to your head." Carter leaned in closer, facing his archenemy almost nose to nose. "I know you hate my guts as much as I hate your oversized head but you've got to understand that I. AM. FUCKING. IN. LOVE. WITH. HER. I love her. I don't plan on hurting her, but I know that sooner or later, especially with you around, she will hurt me. But I will choose to stay."

Chuck snarled and rasped, "No matter how much love you give to her, she will never feel that way about you. You're her charity case. But that won't last. She will never love you as much as she loves me. She only chose you over me because she felt sorry for your _predicament. _But the moment she knows you can survive without her, she will leave you. And I sure as hell won't even need to so much as lift a finger."

Carter smirked. "Don't be so confident, Bass. You weren't exactly in her choices."

Chuck was puzzled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Carter smirked even wider. "I mean, someone else fought for her. And she chose _me_ over him. Face it, Bass. You were _never_ in the running—at least, not anymore."

Chuck calculatingly gaped at Carter, trying to piece together everything that Carter said. "Cat got your throat, Bass? I'm saying that in the race for Blair Waldorf's heart, you didn't even make it as far as registration. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to attend to my guests at _my _bachelor's party. But don't get me wrong. Sick or not sick, I enjoyed this moment. It's not everyday I get to marry the girl of your dreams—and tell you all about it." He turned and sauntered back to his entourage.

Nate, on the other hand, was on his way to the bar to help out his best friend. Carter winked at him as he walked past him. "Your main man's going out of his mind."

"Hey, what was that all about?"

"Did you know where Blair went when she left the city?"

"I just found out when she came back—the same time you did. Why? What did Carter say to you?" He asked his friend, trying to calm the latter who was balling his fists and fighting the urge to break anything in his line of sight.

"Who knew where she was? Who went to find her in Pennsylvania?"

Nate was taken aback—and was slightly scared at the rage that was obviously brewing in his best friend. "I don't know if I should tell you."

"Archibald. SPILL. IT. NOW. OR. I. SWEAR. TO. GOD. YOU. WILL. BE. PAYING. FOR SEVERAL. MILLIONS. WORTH. OF BREAKAGE. IN. THIS. BAR."

"Dan. Dan came to see her in Philly."

"_Brooklyn?_"

…

Inside his limousine, Chuck was toying with his Blackberry, unable to hide the seething anger in his gut. He scrolled down to Dan's name and pressed SEND.

"Humphrey? It's Bass. I know it's late. But I have a proposition I can guarantee you're interested in."


	3. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

**A/N: I guess I'll just take this opportunity to address the concern that Blair's being insensitive by asking the man she left for someone else to attend her wedding. Rest assured that that particular fact did not escape my head and that everything which occurred in the previous chapters was deliberate. I know that Blair has taken the backseat so far but she will take the main light in the next coming chapters. In this chapter, you have some Chuck and Dan conversation. I really struggled with this so I hope you appreciate it. More exciting events will unfold in the coming chapters but at the moment, I wish you'd be happy for more of Dan and his perspective.**

**Also, thank you to my readers and reviewers! You make writing a wonderful experience.**

**And just in case the police questions any of you, I don't own anything. **

Chapter Three

_**Two Steps Forward, One Step Back**_

Dan stared at the amber liquid swirling in the shot glass he held. The call from Chuck Bass was surprising but not a tad unexpected. What he did not expect was his easy acquiescence to the latter's invitation. For some time now he pretended that Blair Waldorf does not exist, that she was never a part of his life, and that if she did exist, she was as minuscule and irrelevant as that sliver of space maintained by _New York _magazine for publication errata. He vowed never to interfere with her life and affairs, tuned out any television show at the mention of her name, and avoided any kind of art show which might interest her even at the remotest likelihood. He's doing well with most of his plan, save for that part where he took in several vices which regular threaten his physical well-being just to drown out the bitterness which has not left his heart. "Forgetting Blair Waldorf" was a taxing ordeal which involved distancing himself from his own family, burying himself in piles upon piles of work and manuscripts, jetting off from one city to another in the search for the next-great-author, and constantly avoiding any contact with anybody from the Upper East Side. He had read at some point in his life that if you want to completely let go of and move on from someone, you have to cut off all ties connecting to that person. He laughed at the fact that he now regular follows the advice he once labeled as idiotic.

Still, it wasn't as if his plan was entirely successful. Just the other day he dreamed of her. It was short since he hardly gets any sleep, if at all, these days. Still, he would give anything just to prolong the images of rich, soft, brown curls billowing in the wind, adorning her porcelain face, as a slight blush pinked her cheek while her Clara Bow lips broke into hearty giggles, her hazel eyes squinting. He couldn't remember what was happening in the dream but the vision of her he couldn't shake off. It was like that most nights when he dreams of her. Nothing in them ever makes sense in his head except for the lingering details of her face, her laugh, her eyes...

He instinctively shook his head, as if to swat away his thoughts. _What's taking that asshole so long? _He had every intention to brush Chuck off but when he opened his mouth to answer, he found himself agreeing to meet up at the Decagon. He signaled to the bartender for another glass as he polished off the contents of the one occupying his hand. He licked his lips and savored the high-priced scotch with a pretentious name on his lips.

"I never pegged you for a boozer, Humphrey." Dan raised his newly-filled glass as in acknowledgment and turned to his companion who took the seat at his right.

"I think the word you're looking for is epicure. I _am _drinking expensive scotch—alcohol which _you _are most familiar with. You don't get to judge."

Chuck laughed and shook his head. Some things never change, not even Humphrey. "Touche." He signaled to the bartender. "I'll have what he's having—and keep it coming."

Dan gulped his own drink and turned to the other man. "I have no intention of turning this 'rendezvous' into some twisted form of Boys' Night Out. I think we've already had the requisite small talk for the night. Now let's get down to business and to your point."

"Chill, Humphrey. Can't you at least spare me a drink or two? The tab, after all, is on me."

"Fine."

Neither spoke for several minutes. Except for the occasional requests for refills and the soft slams of the glasses, they were silent. Chuck took another swig and put down his glass.

"When did you find out about the wedding?"

"This afternoon. My reaction, needless to say, was not a pretty sight, according to your best friend. I'm guessing you found out at around the same time?"

"I did but because of my stepmother. I'm quite sure Baizen deliberately omitted me from their list."

"I don't think that's a bad thing, honestly. At least you are not being requested to witness them declare their vows of love to each other." Dan peppered this with a gesture of his hands. Chuck softly laughed and furrowed his forehead as if in deep thought.

"No. I'm sure it will be painful to see Blair expressing her commitment to another man in front of the whole world but I'd take it just to get the chance to see her."

"Is that why you're asking me to conspire against Carter? You want an in? You know when and where it will be held, you can ask Lily to cover for you so that you can get in and I'm sure that with the resources you have at your disposal, you can take security down without my help."

"Oh, Humphrey, you and I both know that I am not the only one to be benefited by such a take-down—and I'm not referring to the security."

"Get to your point, Bass."

"How did you know she was in Philadelphia?"

Dan paused for a minute. He was surprised by the question, even more so that Chuck was asking it. The guy has an army of private investigators at his beck and call, after all. "She once mentioned her plan of taking graduate studies at Wharton. I called their Registrar and found that she was enrolled there. Why are you asking me this?"

"Because when she left, she didn't say where she was. Serena and Nate only found out when she got back and that was a few weeks ago-"

"A few weeks? She was back here a few weeks already?"

"Yes, _Daniel_, but that is not the point. She left without informing anyone about her whereabouts—well Dorota and her parents knew but they refused to say anything. What happened to her in Philadelphia?"

"How would I know?"

"Because you followed her there. Come on, Humphrey. I'm not a moron. I know for a fact that you went to Philly to see her. What happened?"

Dan took a breath and sighed. He considered lying to the man sitting beside him. They're not friends, anyway and he didn't owe him anything. But damn the alcohol for impairing his storytelling skills. He will really be the shame and downfall of the creative writing industry. "Short of making this sound like a lame soap opera or a cheesy romance film, I followed her to try and get her back and she, without so much as a glimmer of hesitation, said 'No'."

"So you fought for her."

"And I lost. Must you really ask me to admit to the details of the wonderful piece of work that is my life?"

"But Nate told me you were surprised she was marrying Carter and assumed that the groom was me."

"There's a very simple explanation actually. I thought that Philadelphia was a diversion and tactic for your eventual reunion. If there was one thing that I was particularly insecure about, it was the fact that she can't let you go and that she never will. And I thought if I fight for her, which I did, the only way for me to lose is if she chooses you. And I lost. You using deductive reasoning, I thought she chose you. Which, using deductive reasoning, broke my heart and bring us here. Cheers."

Chuck was speechless. He didn't realize that Humphrey would develop real feelings for the woman he loves. After all, the guy spent plenty of his waking hours pining after his leggy blonde stepsister before said stepsister married her ex-con lover. Then again, it wasn't as if Blair and Humphrey did not share history—and kisses—with each other.

"You seem to be at a loss for words, Bass. You called me with an agenda. Right now, you are wasting time and racking up a huge bill."

"You thought all this time that she left you for me?"

"Yes. You want that inscribed in something? It will save me having to repeat such information over and over again."

"But you knew that she and Carter was... well, doing whatever it is that made them end up getting engaged and about to marry."

"She told me about Carter. But as I said, I thought it was all poppycock."

"What exactly did she say about Carter?"

"Oh wow. Your sensitivity knows no bounds, Bass. If I wanted to recount every mind-numbing detail of my 'Philadelphia rejection', I would have just written it down, published it as a short story, and sent it to you."

"Humphrey, I need to know."

"And I need to forget! It's not as if we are friends and you're doing this to give me comfort." _No offense, _he sarcastically inserted.

"I know where we stand with each other, Dan. And on any other day, I would relish at the chance to see you suffer. But I am asking you all these questions purely because I don't know anything and I hate not knowing things, especially when they concern her."

"Fine. She said that they bumped into each other one day. He was undergoing treatment for some sort of brain tumor. She, being Blair Waldorf, took it upon herself to take care of him. Apparently, he fell in love with her in the process and I suppose she fell in love with him, too, along the way."

_Baizen has cancer? _Chuck thought. He expected some form of blackmail or entrapment, not an actual scene from _Grey's Anatomy_. "And you believed that? No. The more important question is if Blair actually bought it."

"Well, if she didn't, you wouldn't be here talking to me about a potential break-up proposition I have yet to hear."

"That's the point. Either Carter fed her some lie to get back at me or the wedding is a sham and a cover for something bigger—or worse, which means we have to stop it."

"Oh, good. We're now delving into the core of our conversation." Dan quipped, rolling his eyes.

"I have it on good source that they did not draw up a prenuptial agreement."

"So you think this marriage is for money?"

"Knowing Carter, he's probably too souped to be liquid on his own. There's also a possibility of her being under a threat. Either way, we need to get to the bottom of this. The only way for Blair to agree to marry that insect is if he has a bomb to scare her with. I'll arrange my investigators to look into the Baizen financial status as well as recent enemies which might help us and you try to get Blair to spill the beans."

"Oh wait. This will involve talking to Blair?"

"Well, of course. And I am sure she's be more willing to talk to you than to me."

"Not so sure about that. And exactly how do you expect things to pan out after gathering your information, seeing as they're getting married in the weekend which is less than two days from now?"

"I haven't thought of that yet, Humphrey. The most urgent thing to do is to break them apart and that is what I'm thinking about."

"But exactly how sure are you that this wedding is a sham? How well do you know Blair? Is she actually capable of submitting herself into a lifetime of loneliness?"

"Are you saying that you're backing out?"

"I did not even say I'm 'in', Bass. I just agreed to hear you out. I expected more structure from you. But you're not even sure what you want to happen. You don't even have an actual plan. You probably called me out of rage which I take to mean that you and Carter had a confrontation or something which got you all worked up. And since you talked to Nate, you thought I would be a willing accomplice to your plan, whatever that is. And, for the sake of argument, what if we succeed? What's going to happen?"

"I was under the idea that you will be agreeable to the prospect of making it a two-way race between the two us by kicking Baizen out of the picture."

"The fact that you're treating 'the-fight-for-Blair's-heart', pardon me for the sappy cheese ball analogy, akin to an election is mind-boggling."

"Don't pretend, Humphrey. You know you don't want her to be with Baizen."

"And I don't want her to be with you! Do you realize that by asking me join in this directionless conspiracy, you're asking me to compete in a battle I'll never win because it will ultimately be against you?"

"So you'd rather have her be with that insect?"

"That's not the point! I don't want to talk to her. It's bad enough that she invited me to her goddamn wedding and got her friends to convince me to go. It's even worse that I actually went out to get a tux _(Chuck looked up at this, raised an eyebrow, and smirked)_. I don't want to meddle in her life. I've spent the greater bulk of this year alone trying to forget her. And you failed to consider that I might not even want to fight for her anymore."

Chuck stared at Dan with pure incredulity. "Why wouldn't you? I thought you love her."

"It doesn't matter what I feel, Bass. But you and I both know that the only reason you're asking me to join forces with you is for leverage. Power by numbers. Yet, the moment this becomes a fight between the two of us, you'd have no mercy trying to kick_ me _outof the picture."

"But why would you give up on her?"

"She gave up on me first, Bass."

Chuck looked Dan and smiled sadly.

"Honestly, I asked you here not because of some plan. I just wanted to get answers, you know. She hasn't quite forgiven me for everything I had done to her, to both of you. And when I found out about her and Carter... I don't know. The very first thought that crossed my head is 'I have to break them apart'. You and I are not friends, Humphrey, but I know that you have an inkling as to the feelings that I have for her. I did go as far as ruin the two of you. But I can't let their wedding happen without at least gearing up for a fight. And I sincerely thought you'd be the one person who would understand. Now that you've brought everything you said up, I've come to the realization that it was a dick idea."

"So you actually just needed someone to commiserate with and you thought the best person for that would be your ex-girlfriend's erstwhile boyfriend. I completely understand."

Chuck laughed at the comment as Dan took another gulp.

"I'm sorry she invited you."

"I'm sorry she _didn't _invite you."

"You want a hug for that, Humphrey?"

"Not even if the two of us are stuck in an island and it gets incredibly cold."

"That just sounds wrong and gross, man." Chuck took out his wallet and plopped down the bar a few hundred. He stood up and extended his right hand. "This does not change anything between us, Humphrey. But thanks. For the company. Let's not do this again."

"Agreed, Bass. This has been a displeasure. However, thank you for leading the way for me towards the sauce. Seriously, how many drinks did we have?" The two of them laughed again as Chuck taps his forehead at Dan as if saluting. He nodded at the gesture and raised his last glass for the night.

It was a strange feeling to be at an impasse with someone you have sworn to loathe for the rest of your life, especially if that particular someone was Chuck Bass. But Dan knew that the more important things remain unsaid and beneath their parting words. Without even bringing it up, Dan knew that the _Basshole _wanted Blair to be happy as much as he did. He also knew that Chuck equally wanted to fight for her, wanted to do so enough to get his help. He, on the other hand, wasn't sure at this point that he still has any fight left. He gulped down his last drink and walked out out of the bar to head back to Brooklyn.

…

He arrived at his loft a few moments later. The urge to go to sleep which had started to build up the moment he got into a cab was suddenly replaced by insomnia. He flicked on the television as he checked the messages on his machine.

_You have two new messages. First message, 1:41am._

He sighed. Who could have called him at an ungodly hour? Even his boss wouldn't bother him so late.

_Dan?_

He froze. It's _her_. He wanted to run to his machine and delete it but his legs have decided to give up on him and keep him immobilize.

_Uh. _(long pause and then a heavy sigh) _Hi. It's me. Look, I think it would be better if you ignore the invitation which was sent to you. I'm sure you wouldn't dream of seeing me marry another man. I may be diabolical _(Dan laughed at this part) _but I wouldn't want to hurt you intentionally. My assistant made the clerical mistake of adding you to the list when I gave him the instructions for Lily and Rufus'. I think I said something like 'make sure the name of the Humphreys are correct' or whatever. It-_

_Beep!_

The message was cut off and Dan felt like murdering his machine, albeit it being an inanimate object. And then, the machine spoke again.

_Second message, 1:46am._

_Fuck this machine cutting me off. Anyway, it was stupid. I don't want you to drag yourself into some event to witness something you wouldn't want to. But Nate and Serena weren't lying when they said I wanted to see you. I really want to, but I know you don't feel the same way. I think I have hurt you too much to assume that you would go on a limb for me. I really am sorry. But you don't have to go. Head to Frankfurt or something. The Fair may be in October—betcha didn't think Nate would know that—but it's lovely in April. Okay? Um, again, I'm sorry._

_Beep!_

**A/N: I'd love some thoughts here. How about some review? :)**


	4. A Nightmare You Can't Shake Off

**A/N: **Okay, I really, really apologize for the long delay. And I'm afraid I would have to fail at your expectations of either a wedding, or a confrontation among the characters. This is a memory chapeter, and this fic will be filled with plenty of such. I've been hit by a barrage of school work and I haven't had the time to update. Anyhoo, this is one of the dream chapters which hopefully will shed light to the characters' changes in behavior and personality. I hope you like it.

Chapter Four

**A Nightmare You Can't Shake Off**

_Barely a week has lapsed and she has already stumbled upon more unfamiliar territory in an already unfamiliar place. It laughable how she managed to cruise every nook and cranny, every street and pavement in New York for more than twenty years and get lost in Philadelphia. Sure, she may be too self-confident in traversing her new place of residence without prior detailed instructions but she felt that as a grown woman, who have been to countries so numerous she can't even remember how many they are, she wouldn't have to ask for those. _

_So the situation she found herself in compels a bit of mirth from her. One minute she was window-shopping; the next, she was at a relatively unlit alley. Shaking small fits of anxiety, she trudged on, high heels clicking, hoping that at the end is a Starbucks, or more preferably, a Manolo Blahnik outlet. A few moments later, she heard sneakers shuffling next to her. She picked up her pace, determined not to look at her left side. _

"_Hey, lady. What's the rush?" And at that point, a brusque hand grabbed her slender arm, pulling her to a stop._

"_Are you lost? I can do something about that, if you want, pretty girl."_

_She gulped and shook her head. "No, I'm fine, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me..."_

_He took tighter hold of her hand. "Hey, not so fast. I don't bite." He peered down at her, a menacing smile dawned on his face. She took slow steps back until her back made contact with the concrete wall._

_She offered up her purse. "Look, here. Take all my money, if that's what you want. Take whatever; you can have everything. Just please let me go."_

_He laughed gruffily. Whispering into her ear,"Oh, but I don't want your money." She felt his balmy breath upon her neck, sending shivers upon her back. He stroked her hair, her chin. She felt his hand moving to her breasts, her waist, her bum._

"_Please, stop." He laughed again and proceeded on placing rough kisses all around her face. She saw his face light up at the sight of cleavage peeking from her dress. And then she felt his hand lifting her skirt._

_She screamed and tried to kick her attacker. But he was fast and was able to dodge the feeble attempt at self-defense._

"_Now, now, there's no need for that, pretty."_

"_No! Stop! Don't do this!" She jerked and pried away her hand which sent a slap on the man's face._

"_Oh, that's how you wanna play it?" He pushed her back upon the wall and harshly grabbed her hair, sending her eyes to tears. She tried to scream again but were subdued by the heavy hand muffling her mouth. _

"_Don't make a sound, bitch, or I can make this even more unpleasant for you." He was much rougher now, grabbing at her skirt, trying to pull at her undergarments._

_Silenced by the hand upon her mouth, she felt hot tears flow down. She can sense the irony of things; she has never been mugged in New York and this is how the gods are paying frontier justice—in the cruelest of ways. Her vision blurring and her hearing numbing, she could barely make out the other voice shouting "Hey! Get your hands off her!" She felt her consciousness escaping her as she fell to the ground. And then nothing..._

"Good morning, New York! Rise and shine! It's 8:30 in the morning, heavy traffic in the streets! I'm DJ Seven and you're listening to WKNY. Here is some Franz Ferdinand to get your blood going!"

Slightly startled, Blair opened her eyes and groaned. It has been two years and her subconscious is still making her suffer. Fumbling, she grasped at the cellular phone by her bedside and glanced at the screen:

1 New Message from Dan Humphrey

**A/N: **And that's it for this chapter. Up next would be something you've probably been waiting for. I hope you don't get impatient with me. But this is a different style of story that I've been experimenting with. Till then!


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